Car roof



. June 29, 1937; w. P. MURPHY CAR ROOF Filed Jfily 2, 19ze 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 $9.5 47-7-0 IPA/5K5 June 29, 1937. w P, MURPHY 2,085,540

CAR ROOF Filed July 2, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q KWN 1105 Erma/5K5.

June: 29, 1937. w. P. MURPHY 2,085,540

CAR ROOF Filed July 2, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 29, 1937 I UNITED STATES g znsss PATENT orrics.

CAR ROOF Walter li. Murphy, Chicago, Ill., assignor to P. H. Murphy Company, New Kensington, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 2, 1936, Serial No. 88,506

17 Claims. (01. 108'-5.4)

My invention relates to car roofs. The principal objects of theinvention are to devise a car roof whose outline will approximate as closely as practicable the clearance line of the American Association of Railroads, which will aiford maximum inside headroom and capacity for the car and which will be strong, light and economical. The invention consists principally ina constructionwherein the middle portions ofthe carline members areabove the roof sheets and the end portions of the carline members are below the roof sheets. It also consists in a construction wherein the roof sheets terminate short of the outersides of the side plates and have ribs that extend transversely of the car and decrease in height and vanish at a distance inwardly from the side plates. It also consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. I

In" the accompanying drawings wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion ofa car roof embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through onehalf of the roof on the line 2- -2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3-is an enlarged transverse section through the roof at the eaves,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the eavesportion-of the roof, 7

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through the roof in the eaves on the line 5 -5 in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5a is a vertical longitudinar section through the roof adjacent tothe eaves on the line 5a5a in Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modified roof construction,

Fig. 7' is a transverse section on the line I-'! in Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is anenlarged fragmentary transverse section through thereof at the eaves,

Fig. 9" is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating another modified construction,

Fig. 10is a vertical section on the line ll!--|ll in Fig. 9,

Fig. IL is afragmentary side elevation ofthe eaves'endportion of the roof shownin Fig. 10,

Fig. lfiis a plan' view ofa portion of a-side plate provided with an end carline member of modified form,

Fig. 13 is a section on the line l3-l3 of Fig. 12,

Fig". 14 is asection on the line l d-i4 of Fig. 12,

Fig; 15 1s a section similar to Fig. 14- illustrating the further modification of the carline end member,

Fig; 16 is a fragmentary plan View of another modifiedroof construction, and

Figs; 17 and l8'are vertical'sections-on the lines l h-Il in Fig. 16 and l8l8 in Fig. 1'7, respectively.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5,

there are metal w-shaped side plates A, that each side plate comprises an outer vertically disposed leg or I with a second leg or flange 2' inclining upwardly and inwardly from the top thereof, an upstanding third leg or flange 3 along the inner margin of said second leg or flange, and; a fourth leg or flange l' inclining upwardly and inwardly from the upper margin of saidupstanding third leg or flange. The metal roof sheets B spanfrom side plate A toside plate A and have their side portions resting on the tops or innermost legs 5 of the side plates, the extreme end portions of said sheets being flanged down, as at E5, and secured by rivets t or by welding to the outer faces of the upstanding legs 3 of said side plates.

Preferably the middle portions of the roof sheets are formed with flat-topped ribs 1, forming upper panels alternating with lower panels, said ribs being of maximum depth at the ridge and decreasing in height until they merge into the plane of the sheets some distance inwardly from the side plates. The side marginal portions of the sheets are formed into raised panels 8 that terminate in upstanding flanges Si; and said panels and said flanges, like the ribs 1, disappear or merge into the plane of said sheets inwardly from the side plates.

The side flanges 9 of adjacent sheets are covered by seam caps C that also terminate some distance inwardly from the side plates, said caps 9 preferablyare U-shaped, as shown at it, and

straddle said flanges and are secured thereto, as by horizontal rivets H or by welding, and outstanding base flanegs 52 that rest flatwiseupon q the raised side marginal panels 8 of said sheets. The end portions of the U-shaped portions of hollow ribs it of the seam capsare curved downwardly over the ends of the seam flanges and merge into the base flanges of said seam caps short of the ends of said base flanges. The seam caps are of a maximum depth at the ridge and gradually decrease in depth to their downwardly curved end portions; and there is a correspond ing increase in width of the base flanges l2 of said caps and the raised side marginal panels of the sheets from the ridge to the ends of said flanges and said panels.

Secured to the side plates A below the end portions of adjacent roof sheets are heavy members D thatextend beneath the end portions of the seam caps C and the roof ribs 1. These end members are preferably wide plates that extend along the side plates and are buttwelded, as at it, along their outer edges directly to the inner edges of the innermost legs 4 of the side plates and substantially flush therewith. The members D follow the pitch of the roof and are rigidly secured directly to adjacent sheets preferably by lines of welds it that extend along the unflanged side edges of said sheets from the ends of the seam caps over the tops of. the carline end members and thence across the top flanges 4 of the side plates and downwardly along the upstanding flanges 3 thereof to the lower edges of the depending eaves flanges 5 of said sheets, thereby forming a rigid weatherprooflng connection be tween the unflanged side edges of the roof sheets and saidmernbers andbetween said edges and said side plates. The end portions of the seam caps overlap the inner end portions of the members D and may be secured to the roof sheets by lines of welds l5 that extend along the ends and sides of the base flanges [2 of such overlapping end portions of said seam caps and also prevent entry of water between the roof sheets and the base flanges of the seam caps at the end portions of the latter. The undersides of the roof sheets between the ribs and side marginal panels 8 thereof' are also welded to the members D by lines of Welds 16 that extend along the inner edges of said members.

In order to decrease the thickness of the roof, the running board E is made in sections that are mounted on brackets ll, riveted or otherwise secured to the sides of the seam caps with the top of the running board substantially flush with the tops of the seam caps and with the middle portion of each section clear of the rib I of the underlying roof sheet.

In the modified roof construction shown in Figs. 6 to 8, the storage capacity of the car is further increased by making the middle portion 18 of the roof substantially horizontal to conform to the topmost line of the standard A. A. R. limiting outline F, by making the side portions IQ of the roof and the top flanges of the side plates and the carline end members D with a steep pitch that substantially follows the lowermost slopes of said limiting outline, and by making the portions 20 of the roof intermediate between the middle and side portions thereof with a pitch that closely follows the uppermost slopes of said limiting outline. In this construction, the members D are secured to the side plates below the meeting edges of the end portions of adjacent roof sheets with their inner end portions fitting within and bearing against the undersides of the end portions of the raised side marginal panels 80. of adjacent roof sheets and welded, as at l6a, along their inner end and side edges of the undersides of said panels. The end portions of the base flanges of the seam caps terminate short of the upper side plate flanges 4 and are welded, as at l5a, to the tops of the roof sheets; and the roof ribs 1 have their end portions extended over portions of said side plate flanges 4. The members D extend beneath the end portions of the seam caps and cooperate with said caps so as together to function after the manner of a carline; that is the carline member may be considered as made up of the seam cap or outside member, which constitutes the middle portion of the carline, and inside members that are secured to the end portions of said seam cap and constitute the end members of the carline. Thus, the seam cap and inside carline members are united together to function as a unitary beam. In some cases, as shown in Figs. 9 to 11, it may be desirable to terminate the end of the seam cap flush with the ends of the seam flanges and close the end of said cap by means of weld metal 2| that also serves to secure together the flush ends of said seam cap and said seam flanges. In some cases, it may also be desirable to weld the end portions of the seam caps, as at I51), to the tops of the side marginal panels 8a. Obviously brackets similar to the carline end members D may be secured to the side plate opposite the roof ribs 1 with their inner end extending beneath the ends of said ribs.

In the modification shown in Figs. 12 to 15, the side plate has the flange at the top of the upstanding flange or leg thereof omitted; and the end carline member has a downwardly curved end'portion that takes the place of said flange and is buttwelded as at |3a along its lower edge to the upper edge of said upstanding side plate flange. In this construction, the end carline member has corrugations 22 pressed therein that serve to stiffen and strengthen said member. If desired, said member may be reinforced and stifiened by flanging the side margins 23 thereof, as shown in Fig. 15.

In the modification shown in Figs. 16 to 18 I the portions of the seam flanges located outwardly from the ends of the seam caps are bent down substantially into the plane of'the body portions of the sheets to form tabs or extensions 24. The tab or extension of one sheet overlaps the side marginal portion of the sheet adjacent thereto, and the tab of said adjacent sheet underlies the body portion of the first mentioned sheet. The overlapping tab is secured to the underlying roof sheet by means of a line of weld 25 that extends along the longitudinal and transverse edges of said tab; and the end portions of the base flanges of the seam cap are secured along their side and end edges to the roof sheets by lines of welds 26. The line of weld at the end of the portion of the base flange located opposite the overlapping tab serves also to secure the adjacent end of said tab to the end of the base flange and to close the joint therebetween.

The construction hereinbefore described has several advantages. By disposing the running board between the seam caps, the clearance space is increased so as to permit the carlines to be raised higher than in the old practice. Likewise, terminating the seam caps and roof ribs inwardly from the side plates increases the tunnel clearance in the regions adjacent to the ends of said ribs and thus permits the roof sheets to be raised to a higher level than heretofore. These facts will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 2 and '7, wherein the standard A. A. R. tunnel clearance line F is indicated in broken lines. Not only can the roof sheets of my construction be placed higher than has heretofore been practicable, but the cubic capacity of the car is also increased due to the thinness of the roof which, in turn, is due largely to the disposition of the carline members partly inside and partly outside of the roof sheets. In some instances the height of the article to be shipped is slightly greater than one-half of the distance between the floor and the car roofs heretofore used, thereby preventing the articles from being stacked one upon the other. The present construction, by placing the roof sheets higher than has heretofore been practicable, enables such articles to be stacked one upon the other and thus practically doubles the number of articles that can be placed inside the car.

Obviously the construction hereinbefore described admits of considerable modifications without departing from my invention. For instance, in the roof I have described, it is advantageous, especially with Wide sheets, to have ribs in the body portion thereof as well as solid capped out its length.. Likewise the end. members of the' carline: mayextend from side-plate to side plate or" they may terminate at the ridge or at any suitable intermediate point.

What I claim is: Y

A car roof construction comprising inwardly and upwardly offset side plates havingrmemb'ers extending inwardly along: their inner margins conformablyto the slope of the established tunnelclearance outline and further inwardly at a lower slope, roof sheets extending from: side plate to side plate and having upstanding side flanges which terminate above the inner lowsloping portions of said members, means rigidly securing said flanges together, andweldsuniting the unflanged edges of. said sheets to said members.

2.. A car roof construction comprising inward- 1y and upwardly ofi'set side plates having members extending inwardly along their: inner margins conf'ormably to the slope of. the established tunnel clearance outline and further inwardly at a lower slope, roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and having upstanding side flangeswhich terminate above the inner low sloping portions of' said members, seamcaps rigidly securing said flanges together'and terminating at a distance inwardly from the vertical portions of the side plates, and welds uniting the unflange-d edgesofsaid sheets: tosaid members.

'3. A car roof construction comprising side plateshaving members extending inwardly along their inner margins conformably to the slope of the roof, roof'sheets extending from side plate to side plate and having upstanding side flanges opposite said members and terminating at a: distance inwardly from the side plates to enable the body portionsof the roof sheets to be placed closer to the tunnel clearance outline, seam caps rigidly securing said flanges together, and welds uniting the unflanged side portions of adjacent sheets to said members.

4'. A car roof construction comprising side plates, each having an upwardly extending: flange along its inner side with the top portionthereof sloping conformab'ly with the established clearance-outline,-members' welded to said sloping: topportions and flush therewithand having their outer portions similarly sloped, roof sheets extending-from sideplate to side. plate and having downturned flanges secured flatwise against the outer faces of the side plates and having upstanding sideflange's opposite said members: and" terminating at a distance inwardly from the side platesiseam capsri'gidlysecuring said flanges to-' gether and terminating at a. distance inwardly fromthe side platesweldsuniting: the unflanged: sideiport'ions of. adjacent sheets to said members, and welds uniting said: seam caps to said sheets whereby said seam. caps and members together function as. carlines; the top end portions of the seam capslying approximately in planes of the sameslope as the adjacent portions ofthe'clear-- ance outline;

5. A car roof construction: comprising sideplates, each havingantupwardly extendingflange along its inner sidewith the topportion thereof sloping conformably with the established clearance outlinamembers welded to said sloping top portions and flushl therewith and having their outer portions similarly sloped, roof sheets ex-' tending from side plate to side plate and: having upstanding side flanges opposite said members and terminating at a distance inwardlyfrom the side plates, and an upstanding seam cap straddling said flanges throughout themiddle-portion of the roof. and terminating above said: side plate members short of the vertical portions of thesid'e plates to enable the body portions of the roof sheets to be placed closer to the-tunnelclearancer outline, said sheets being rigidly secured to=both= said upstanding seam cap and to'said side plate members. 9

6. A car roof construction comprisingiinwardly and upwardly offset side plates having inwardly projecting extensions along their inner margins conforming to the slope of' the established clearance outline and roof sheets spanning from" side plate to side. plate and rigidly secured together and secured fiatwise to said extensions of the side plates, said roof sheets comprising'upper panels" alternating with lower panels, the upper panels decreasing in height and merging into the plane of the. lower panels above said side plate extensions at a distance inwardly from the vertical portion of the side plates so as to keep the end portions of said upper panels within said established clearance outline.

7. A car roof construction comprising side plates and roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and rigidly secured together and -to said side plates, said roof having ribs that ex'-' tend crosswise of the car andv terminate at a dis-- tance inwardly from said side plates=,. said side" plates having angular members welded to the tops thereof, the outer: portions of saidmembersslop ing conform'ably tothe clearanceoutline and the." inner portions having less slope and extending under the ends of said ribs, and; the outer ends: of the ribs being inwardly of said sloping portion. and close to the clearance outline whereby the roof sheets rest flatwiseagainst said: sloping: portion throughout their width.

8. A car roof construction comprising side plates having upstanding inner side marginal? flanges and roof sheets extending from sideplate to side plate and rigidly secured together and, to' said side plates, said roof having ribs that eartend crosswise of the ,car and: terminate at a: dis-- tance inwardly from said side plates, andmems bers secured to and extendingxinwardly from said? side plates beneath the ends of said ribs, the cons tiguous portions of: the side: plates and members sloping conformably to the clearance outline sub- .stantiallyin planes that closely clear the ends of.

gins of adjacent roof sheets and beneath the' endportions of theside flanges thereof, the portions of the roof sheets next inwardly of the side plates sloping conformably to said clearance outline;

10. A car roof construction comprising side plates and roof sheets extending from side plate: to side plate and having abutting upstanding side flanges terminating at a distanceinwardly from; the vertical portions of said side plates to enable: the body portions of the roofi sheets to: be placed closer to the tunnel clearance outline, a weld securing together the ends of said flanges and covering the joints therebetween, members extending inwardly from said side plates beneath the unflanged side margins of adjacent roof sheets, and welds securing the unflanged margins of adjacent sheets to said members and to said side plates.

11. A car roof comprising side plates whose upper outer corners are close to the established clearance outline and roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and provided along their adjacent side margins with upstanding side flanges terminating close to the clearance outline at a distance inwardly from the vertical portions of said side plates, means rigidly securing said flanges together, the unflanged side marginal portion of each sheet being extended laterally beyond the side flange thereof, with the marginal extension of a sheet disposed in lapped relation to the body portion of the other sheet, and members extending inwardly from said side plates beneath the overlapped unflanged margins of said sheets and beneath the end portions of the side flanges thereof and rigidly united to said sheets so that said upstanding flanges and inwardly extending members together function as carlines.

12. A car roof comprising side plates and roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and provided along their adjacent side margins with upstanding side flanges terminating at a distance inwardly from the vertical portions, of said side plates, seam caps rigidly securing said flanges together and terminating at a distance inwardly from said side plates to enable the body portions of the'roof sheets to be placed closer to the tunnel clearance outline, said seam caps being provided with outstanding base flanges that overlie the body portions of adjacent sheets, the unflanged side margin of each sheet being extended laterally beyond the side flange thereof, with the marginal extension of a sheet disposed in lapped relation to the body portion of the other sheet, members extending inwardly from said side plates beneath theoverlapped unflanged margins of said sheets and beneath the end portions of the side flanges thereof, welds securing the edges of the overlapping side marginal extension of a sheet to the underlying body portion of an adjacent sheet, and welds securing the end portions of the base flanges of the seam caps to said roof sheets whereby said seam caps and said members are united together to function as unitary beams.

13. A car roof construction comprising side plates whose upper inner portions are close to the established tunnel clearance outline and slope conformably thereto, and roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and rigidly secured together and to said side plates, said roof having carline members that extend crosswise of the car above the general level of the roof sheets and terminate at a distance inwardly from said upper inner portions of the side plates with their upper corners close to said clearance outline, the portions of the roof sheets between the ends of said carline members and the side plates sloping close to and conformably with the established tunnel clearance outline, other carline members extending inwardly from the side plates below the roof sheets and opposite the ends of the upper carline members, and means for securing together the upper and lower carline members and the intervening sheets whereby they function as a unitary carline.

14. A car roof construction comprising inwardly and upwardly offset side plates whose upper inner portions are close to the established clearance outline and slope conformably thereto and roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and rigidlysecured together andto said side plates, said roof sheets having upstanding side flanges that extend crosswise of the car and terminate within the clearance outline at a distance inwardly from the side plates to enable the body portions of the roof sheets to be placed closer to the tunnel clearance outline, the sheets having portions beyond the ends of the flanges sloping close to and conformably with the established tunnel clearance outline, and carline end members welded to and extending inwardly from the side plates below and opposite the ends of the flanges, and means for securing the sheets and carline end members rigidly together whereby the sheet flanges and carline end members together function as carlines.

15. A car roof construction comprising inwardly and upwardly oiTset side plates with their topmost flanges close to and sloping conformably to the established clearance outline and roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and rigidly secured together and to said side plates, said roof sheets having carline members that extend crosswise of the car above the general level of the roof sheets and terminate close to said clearance outline at a distance inwardly from the vertical portion of the side plates to enable the body portions of the roof sheets to be placed closer to the tunnel clearance outline and carline end members below said roof sheets and extending inwardly from the topmost flanges of the side plates at the same slope therewith and having their inner portions extending at less slope beneath the ends of the ribs, the upper and lower carline members being rigidly united through the sheets to function together as carlines.

16. A car roof construction comprising side plates having upstanding inner side marginal flanges: whose uppermost portions slope inwardly conformably with and close to the established clearance outline, and roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and rigidly secured together and to said side plates, said roof having upstanding seams that extend crosswise of the car and terminate close to said outline at a distance inwardly from said side plates, and members extending inwardly from said side plates op posite the endsof said upstanding seams, the inwardly extending portions of said members having corrugations formed therein and said members being rigidly united with said seams whereby they together function as carlines.

17. A car roof construction comprising side plates having upstanding inner side marginal flanges and roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and rigidly secured together and to said side plates, the upper inner portions of said side plates being within and close to the established clearance outline and sloping conformably thereto, said roof having ribs that extend crosswise' of the car and terminate close to the clearance outline at a distance inwardly from said side plates, the portions of the roof sheets next inwardly of the side plates sloping conformably to said clearance outline, and members extending inwardly from said side plates beneath the ends of said ribs in contact with the sides and ends thereof whereby the height of the side plates and of the roof as a whole is increased.

WALTER P. MURPHY. 

